Have B.A., but what else can I do with it? (find a job, legal)

[Happy2bHere]

Hello all!

I have a B.A. in philosophy and a J.D. Unfortunately I have found that I detest working in the legal system. I worked at a firm in private practice for a year and left it for the public sector, but still am dissatisfied. From what I see, however, even with all of that education, I am not qualified to do anything else but practice law.

Does anyone else have any experience with this? Were you able to find a job in another field? What was it? Did it require any other education experience?

Thanks so much for your ideas!

[theshan]

Originally Posted by Happy2bHere

Hello all!

I have a B.A. in philosophy and a J.D. Unfortunately I have found that I detest working in the legal system. I worked at a firm in private practice for a year and left it for the public sector, but still am dissatisfied. From what I see, however, even with all of that education, I am not qualified to do anything else but practice law.

Does anyone else have any experience with this? Were you able to find a job in another field? What was it? Did it require any other education experience?

Thanks so much for your ideas!

What are the things you enjoy about what you do? What are the volunteer activities or personal pursuits you find satisfying? I think you have to start with your interests and see if you can think of possible fields to pursue rather than taking your degrees and trying to crib something together. There are many people who do great work in fields they aren't "qualified" for. A good career counselor, I'm sure through one of your alma maters, should be helpful in this process.

[Happy2bHere]

Hey, theshan -

Sorry for the delay in responding. You are right - I truly like your way of analyzing my situation. Interesting how just looking at it from another perspective opens up so many possibilities! That is what I was looking for - fresh eyes. So, thank you so much for your input. It should be incredibly helpful.

[toobusytoday]

Happy, I did a quick google search and found this link: What kind of job can you get with a degree in philosophy Sometimes taking a year off volunteering will help bring a career into focus. There are some cool overseas jobs that offer room and board for labor : Volunteer Overseas, International Volunteer, Help Overseas, Cultural Immersion - Cultural Extremes (http://www.culturalextremes.com/ - broken link)